Chapter 1711 - 1617: Empire’s Shining Moment

November 29, 1802.

Saint Petersburg.

The candles on the gilded chandelier atop the Winter Palace Saint George Hall were burning vigorously, casting a dazzling glow on the dense medals and sashes in the hall.

The court orchestra was not playing the usual soothing waltz for the banquet but had switched to the spirited "March of Peter the Great."

Indeed, only this tune could match the brilliant victory the Russian Army had recently achieved in Austria.

By the oak table near the window, three officers were drinking heartily, with more than half the wine bottle already emptied.

"I really envy you," remarked the gaunt-faced Major Igor, swirling his wine glass to the young man beside him, "entering Pest with His Majesty the Emperor, what an immense honor that must be."

Yes, just a month and a half ago, Alexander I personally went to Pest to attend the signing ceremony of the Austria-Hungary armistice agreement.

Although he was almost universally reviled by the Hungarians in Pest, it did not stop the Russians from broadcasting that their Emperor "inspected Pest amidst the kneeling of everyone."

The captain named Nikolai Petrovich was the Company Commander of the Eleventh Infantry Army's Guard, responsible for securing a section of the route on that day.

Petrovich had evidently drunk quite a bit, first raising his glass to shout, "Long live His Majesty the Emperor!"

Then he sat back in his chair, grinning, "Those Hungarians are no match at all. Our corps took just half a month to march from Bihar to Solnok.

"The only regret is that we didn't get to blast open that city with cannons—those cowards surrendered! Haha!"

Sitting on the other side, Captain Dosaev immediately raised his glass, "To the great Marshal Kutuzov! He is invincible!"

On the very day Alexander I arrived in Pest, he promoted Kutuzov to the rank of Marshal.

Not only Major Igor, but even the dozen or so surrounding officers followed suit, raising their glasses: "To the invincible Marshal! Ula!"

The whole hall was filled with the joy of victory, and the previous frustration when blocked by the Poles on the east bank of the Dnieper River had long disappeared without a trace.

In fact, the Russian internal narrative was that the Russian Army had taught the Poles a harsh lesson, once marching into Vilnius, and eventually returned to the country with a great sum of war reparations.

Petrovich looked toward the main seat at the front of the hall and asked Igor, "Didn't you say before, that the French were secretly supporting Poland? How come they're suddenly here to pay respects to His Majesty?"

Yes, this banquet was precisely held to receive the French envoy.

Igor's father was one of the secretaries of the Foreign Minister Voronzo, so people around him often probed him for insider news.

Igor smiled, "You all just returned from the battlefield, so you may not know how high our standing is now internationally."

Captain Dosaev, chewing on a pickle, said, "I read in the Austrian newspapers, they call His Majesty the Emperor the 'Secret Police of Europe.'"

In the eyes of these nobles, the secret police mainly handled those liberals and unruly troublemakers, so they didn't see it as derogatory, but rather as embodying a more commanding and authoritative presence.

Igor nodded, "Not just Austria; newspapers in France, the Netherlands, and Prussia write the same."

He leaned forward, lowering his voice, "Do you know? The Emperor of Sanctum, in order to request his majesty's military aid, agreed to cede the southern sphere of influence in Wallachia.

"Soon, our priests will be able to visit Bulgaria, Serbia, and even Greece at any time.

"All the Eastern Orthodox believers in Europe will look toward Saint Petersburg. Where is the real center of the Eastern Orthodox world?"

He slapped the armrest of his chair forcefully, "Right here!

"With the current influence of our country, it's no wonder France is rushing to ingratiate itself.

"Although we fought with France before, this time the French envoy brought a letter from Princess Alexandra, so His Majesty the Emperor didn't mention those things."

Dosaev boasted, "No wonder those newspapers say wherever His Majesty's army goes, order follows. Talk of republics? Congresses? Let's see who dares bring those up!"

Well, most of these articles were produced by the Paris News Agency.

The old nobility had no objections to the "Secret Police of Europe," but in the eyes of everyone who had encountered Enlightenment thought, Russia was clearly the villain preserving the old order.

Major Igor continued, "I heard my father say, the French have already acquiesced to our influence in the Balkans, in exchange for our support in international affairs."

Joseph knew that the Russians always had a "self-satisfying" demeanor, especially after winning a battle. His intention now was to add fuel to the fire, encouraging Russia to invest more energy in the Balkan Region.

Currently, Russia is like a severely ill patient, and if it were to embark on a cross-country run through the Balkans, who knows when it might suddenly drop dead.

As for the possibility of Russia controlling the Balkans, it was virtually nil.

The Ottoman Empire would certainly fight Russia tooth and nail—after all, these territories are Ottoman soil. Austria would not stand by and watch as Russia expanded around its vicinity either.

Even just these two nations would be enough to keep Russia from easily dealing with them.

Moreover, most European countries did not wish to see Russia extend its influence into Central Europe.

The three young officers drank for a while longer, when Igor suddenly looked at Petrovich, "I heard you have settled the matter with Mrs. Kalashiev?"

The so-called "settled" meant breaking up with his mistress.

Petrovich sighed, "That's right. I'm being transferred to Chernigov next month. I hadn't seen her for a year before this, and I don't know when I'll be able to come back again. To keep spending money on her in the meantime is hardly worth it."

"Chernigov?" Major Igor was astonished, "Is the situation there so severe that the Guard Corps needs to be deployed?"

Petrovich nodded, "It's said that nobles in several villages in the east have been massacred. That damned Vienna uprising set a very bad example for those folks.

"The local garrison won a battle previously, but after being attacked by the Cossack rebels from Moldavia, there are now less than 300 soldiers left."

Major Igor frowned, "The rebels are so rampant? At this rate, it will definitely impact our Balkan strategy.

"Perhaps I should suggest to my father that General Arakcheev needs to make a determined effort to exterminate them."

Dosaev picked up the wine bottle, muttering, "Forget it, haven't you heard the news about finances? Anyway, our colonel said, half of the military expenses he advanced for the battle in Minsk haven't been reimbursed yet.

"He now has to pay 1200 rubles monthly just for loan interests."